Monday, July 30, 2012

beware of bats in neighborhood

At tonight's Westmoreland Condo Board meeting, a participant mentioned that a condo building in the neighborhood is having trouble with bats.  Bats are fine fellow mammals that eat a lot mosquitoes.  Unfortunately, bat droppings probably are not healthy at high concentrations in apartment buildings.  Some dangerous wild animals have been seen around Westmoreland, but thus far, no reports of bats.

Other items from the Condo Board meeting:
  • The Condo Board has received cost estimates of $900-$1300 (excluding painting the fence) for a treated lumber wooden fence that could replace the bright yellow rope fence protecting the English ivy bed on the side of building 1301.  Given concern to keep condo fees low, the Board is reluctant to incur this expense.  The Board welcomes further input from residents about whether this expense should be undertaken.
  • The Board investigated regulations on community cooking grills.  Grills can't be installed within 15 feet of a building.  That would seem to make impossible installing a grill outside of building 1301.
  • At least 5 units in building 1336 have reported heat pump damage subsequent to Pioneer Roofing replacing the roof on that building.  Pioneer Roofing's responsibility for this damage is a matter of dispute.  Pioneer Roofing did not document the conditions of the heat pumps before and after its roof repair.  The meeting discussed whether Westmoreland should chose a different roofing contractor for subsequent roof repair.
  • The Board received a cost estimate for $20,000 for trimming trees around the property.  While Westmoreland trees suffered no catastrophic damage from recent storms, some broken branches remain up in trees.  These branches will be taken down for safety.
  • Two pine trees were recently cut down on the property.  The Board was concerned that it was not adequately involved in the decision to remove these trees.
  • Virginia recently passed new law concerning the operation of Common Interest Community Boards such as the Westmoreland Terrace Condominium Association.   The relevant law is Code of Virginia Title 54.1.  The Virginia Office of the Common Interest Community Ombudsman has relevant information about the law for condo associations and condo association members.
Attending this month's condo board meeting were three residents, condo board members José Calvo, Jennifer Feinleib, Joe Ruland, Gretchen Sprehe, and Emil Tabakov, and new Zalco property manager Lenard Goldbaum.  The next regularly scheduled condo board meeting will be on Monday, August 27, at 7pm in the onsite condo office.

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